As Hong Kong's picturesque Victoria Harbour came alive with a 12-minute New Year Countdown Firework Musical, about 2,000 passengers of German cruise ship AIDAbella berthed at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui took their “front-row seats” on deck to herald in the New Year in a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The pyrotechnic show themed “New Year New Legend”, playing out in a 1,300-metre stretch extending from Central to Causeway Bay, was the biggest and longest yet taking centre-stage at iconic Victoria Harbour. Hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors packed the vantage points along both sides of the harbour to farewell 2023 and ring in 2024.
On the open deck of AIDAbella, cruise guests could relax to enjoy unobstructed views and best camera angles of the firework extravaganza, set against the spectacular skyline of the city that has been made ever more vibrant with festive lights and decorations.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board made the countdown party for AIDAbella guests all the merrier with a New Year Countdown Celebration party onboard, featuring a host of traditional Chinese craft demonstrations and performances.
In the Hong Kong-themed party from 10pm to midnight, the ship’s open deck was lined with stalls offering local treats like dragon beard candy and Chinese cookies, and demonstration of crafts such as calligraphy on paper fan, Chinese rainbow calligraphy and flour doll-making. Captivating cultural performances were also staged – the energetic LED lion dance was symbolic of Hong Kong's diverse cultural scene, and the harmonic duet performances pairing traditional Chinese instruments mesmerised the audience with rich artistic expression in Chinese style.
AIDAbella perfectly timed her Hong Kong port call for her guests to join in the greatest show of the year in Hong Kong right at the world-famous Victoria Harbour. The specially curated New Year Countdown Celebration party onboard infused with local flavours exemplified how cruise passengers get twice as much fun with the integration of major onshore events with culturally rich activities onboard.
Throughout the year in Hong Kong, renowned as the event capital of Asia, there is a robust lineup of world-class art exhibitions, sports events and cultural festivals that can enrich the onshore experiences for international cruise passengers to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture and dynamic spirit of Hong Kong.
